Whatever It Takes
by jellybean96
Summary: It's in that moment she makes a promise to herself. And somewhat to him. Even if she can't bring him back she's going to save him. She's going to save him from that creature.
**Hey babes! So, here's a new one for ya. I'm not really sure where the idea for this one came from, but it did and I wrote it down. I literally wrote this in a day, but then I took some time to polish it up and get it exactly how I wanted it.
Originally this was going to be in two parts, but then I decided to just make it one long thing.  
It goes a bit off canon from season 3, not really sure where. I'm pretty sure Skye hasn't seen Ward at any point during season 3, and he hasn't seen her, but I'm not positive. Let's just assume they haven't seen each other since season 2.  
Also, you may want to have tissues or something handy. I cried while I was writing it, so yeah.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

This wasn't at all what she was expecting when she accepted the mission. She didn't know what to expect when she accepted it.  
They didn't know who or what they were going up against. Only that there was a new threat they needed to deal with.  
Their Intel said that the new threat was completely beyond anything they'd ever seen or been up against. Joey and Lincoln accompanied her to the site.  
None of them had any idea what they were dealing with or how to try and defeat it. And it kind of scared her.

She goes inside the building first, quietly. Lincoln objects but she quickly reminds him that she's the one with the most field experience. He and Joey remain at the door, on standby in case she needs them.  
She scouts the area as she goes in, gun up and trained on the wide space in front of her.  
She doesn't notice the tall, looming figure standing at the other end of the room.  
She doesn't notice the figure until it speaks.  
"You must be…Skye."  
She quickly turns towards the voice, eyes squinting, trying to see its face through the darkness.  
Her gun is still up in front of her.  
"Who are you?"  
"He was hoping he'd get to see you once again. Such a shame he couldn't."  
The voice is slow and unsettlingly calm. The voice gets the wheels in her head turning.  
"Who?"  
She takes a small step forward.  
"Who was hoping?"  
"You're the one he dreamt about on cold lonely nights. When he took his last breaths, many of his final thoughts were of you, and how he wished he'd done better by you."  
There's a pause.  
"Human emotions are so…weak and pathetic."  
Her grip on the gun tightens.  
"You better tell me who the hell you are before I shoot you."  
"You can go ahead and try, as I'm sure you won't have trouble shooting this host body again. But I can assure you that your bullets will do no harm."  
She furrows her brows.  
"Host body? What the hell are you even talking about? Who are you?"  
The figure steps forward and then stops once it's standing in the beam of light seeping in through a small crack in the ceiling.  
Her breath catches in her throat and her eyes go wide, her grip on the gun faltering.  
"Ward? But you're…"  
"Dead? Yes, this body was indeed dead when I inhabited it on that planet. One of the better choices for a host once I restored it to its…full potential."  
"What the hell are you even talking about? Ward is dead. Coulson told us that he died on that planet."  
"And did he tell you _how_ this body died?"  
She stays silent, trying to recall that one small detail.  
"He crushed its chest. With his prosthetic hand he stole this body's final breaths from him. Did you ever question why he came back to your world without that hand? It's because he couldn't bear to look at it anymore knowing what he used it for."  
She shakes her head.  
"No. You're—you're lying. Coulson wouldn't do something like that."  
"Wouldn't he, though? Then again, I don't really care much for all of these…petty human problems and vendettas. They tend to bore me rather quickly."  
"Why do you keep talking like that? What are you?"  
It gives her a look that almost resembles a smirk, but doesn't answer.  
" _Daisy. What's going on in there? Is everything okay?"  
_ She lifts a hand to her comm., lowering her head slightly as she speaks.  
"I'm fine, still scouting. Nothing out of the ordinary yet."  
She lifts her head back towards the figure to see the eyes she once grew to love staring right at her, as if they're looking deep into her soul.  
It makes her entire body crawl.  
"He cared about you, did you know that? Even after you shot him and left him for dead, he still cared a great deal about you."  
"What?"  
"This body, the one you call Grant Ward, he still cared about you very deeply. Even until his final breath. You invaded his thoughts when he was alive; your face inhabits every inch of the memories in his mind, like some kind of disease that needs to be eradicated."  
She just stares back into those dark brown eyes, despite the feeling of uneasiness they give her.  
Something, she doesn't know what, makes her stance falter.  
A feeling deep inside of her makes her lower her gun by the slightest bit.  
"I must be going now."  
She's pulled from her thoughts by that voice.  
"What?"  
"I must be going now. My intention today was not to cause you any harm. Simply to see what had the mind of this body so enamored, so completely enthralled. Much like this host never once dared to harm your physical form, I must confess I am the same way. There is something about you, something that lies deep inside of you. Something you keep buried beneath everything else. Something of…purity and…innocence and…childlike wonderment."  
She feels something inside of her start to bubble up to the surface. Something she hasn't felt in what seems like forever.  
"You came to size up the enemy."  
The figure shakes its head and gives her what she thinks could be considered a smile.  
"You, Skye, are not my enemy."  
A flicker of something across the figures face makes her breath catch and her stance falter in the slightest.  
She briefly closes her eyes and shakes her head to clear her thoughts.  
The figure is gone when she opens her eyes again. Just darkness remains in front of her. Darkness and the small beam of light that shone down on the man standing before her just moments before.  
She looks all around her, trying to locate him.  
She finds nothing. He's gone.

The ride back to the base is spent in silence. Joey drives and Lincoln sits in the passenger seat. She sits in the back, not feeling up for the company of the other two Inhumans.  
A million thoughts race through her head during the journey. Memories she kept locked down force their way to the forefront of her mind.  
She fights hard to keep her composure.

She debriefs Coulson and the rest of the team on what she discovered. She doesn't tell them whose body the creature inhabited.  
She tells them that it came from that planet. She tells them it didn't cause her any harm. She tells them that she doesn't know why. But she does know why.  
Everyone shoots off question after question, trying to find out more of what she knows. She only tells them what she thinks they need to hear.  
She doesn't tell them how every single emotion she ever felt towards that man came rushing back to the surface when she saw his body standing in front of her.  
Everyone leaves the room after the debrief. They all leave to try and find out more about this creature.  
She remains in Coulson's office, staring at the floor. She waits in silence until they're the only two left.  
It takes him a moment to notice that she's still there.  
"Is there something else you need, Agent Johnson?"  
She looks up at him.  
"Did you kill him?"  
She sees something flash quickly across his face before he regains his blank look.  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
She steps towards his desk.  
"Ward went onto that planet with Fitz and you dove in after. Ward never came back, you and Fitz did. And you were missing your prosthetic hand. It's a simple question, _Director_. Did you kill him?"  
"Daisy, I—"  
She slams her hands down on his desk, causing it to shake.  
"Damn it, Coulson! Just answer my question."  
His back straightens and his gaze hardens.  
"I did what I had to do."  
She pushes off of the desk and stands up straight.  
"By killing him?"  
"He's a murderer, Daisy. He's killed dozens of people."  
"And what does that make May? Or Bobbi? Or any other Specialist with SHIELD?"  
"He killed Victoria Hand. As well as Rosalind Pierce. Both in cold blood. During neither of those instances was he under the direction of SHIELD."  
She takes a deep breath to calm herself. She fixes him with a hard glare.  
"I am not condoning what he's done. What he did was wrong, on so many levels. But _nobody_ deserves to die like that and then be left alone on a deserted alien planet."  
"After everything that happened I thought you of all people would understand why I did what I did."  
She takes a step back.  
"I do understand. Just not what you thought I would."  
She leaves the room before she says something she'll regret.  
She makes a beeline for her bunk, ignoring everyone trying to talk to her along the way.  
She doesn't let it all out until she's in the safety of her bunk with the door shut and locked behind her.  
She sends out a large blast that shakes the foundation of the building before throwing herself down onto her bed.  
She told herself a long time ago that she wouldn't cry over him. That she shouldn't. That he isn't worth any of her tears.  
She curls herself around one of her pillows, pulling to the front of her mind every memory she has of him. Both the good ones and the bad ones.  
Sobs wrack her entire body when she thinks about him and what he is now. Just a host for some alien creature. No one deserves to have their body treated that way, not even him.  
She thinks about what she saw. She remembers the small flash she saw cross his (its?) face.  
She doesn't know why, or how, but she knows she saw something.  
It's in that moment she makes a promise to herself. And somewhat to him.  
Even if she can't bring him back she's going to save him. She's going to save him from that creature.

The first person she talks to is Fitz. She knows he's the one who expelled the creature from Will.  
He's in the lab when she finds him, tinkering away on a new project.  
She doesn't waste time in trying to ask in a subtle way.  
"How did you stop that creature when it was inside Will back on the planet?"  
She almost feels bad for asking so bluntly when she sees the look on his face. Almost.  
"Oh, um, it was, I used a flare gun. Shot him in the back with it and he, uh, died, again. And the creature couldn't inhabit his body any longer cause it was all burned and everything."  
She bites her lip in thought. She doesn't want to have to burn his body. If he isn't going to come back, she doesn't want his body to look like how he must have felt on the inside; broken. At the very least, he deserves that.  
"Is there any other possible way to expel the creature from the hosts' body without using fire of any kind?"  
"I don't know. We don't really know much about it so there's no real way of knowing what to do about it. But we're doing everything we can to find any more information on this thing."  
"Yeah, okay. Let me know what you find?"  
He gives her a small smile.  
"You'll be one of the first to know."  
"Great, thanks."  
She gives him a friendly kiss on the cheek before retreating back to her bunk.  
She knows everyone will do their research on the creature. She knows that they'll be thorough.  
She also knows she can't just sit and wait for information to be found. She knows she has to do her own research. Or she might drive herself crazy.

Months go by. The creature inhabiting Ward's body hasn't shown itself in months.  
She doesn't know whether to be pleased or scared by that fact.  
She still hasn't told anyone whose body is being inhabited by the creature. She knows if she tells them that most of them will stop trying as hard to save him. Others will just stop trying altogether.  
But it's also eating her up inside being the only one who knows. She has the urge to tell someone.  
She decides that telling Fitz is her safest bet. Despite everything that happened, Fitz still had hope in Ward when the others didn't.  
She carefully approaches the subject this time around.  
She finds him when he's alone in the lounge, watching some nature documentary on the large television.  
"Hey Fitz, can I ask you something?"  
He mutes the TV and turns to face her.  
"Yeah, of course. What is it?"  
She sits down next to him.  
"Be honest with me. Have you guys found anything out yet about the creature? I know it's been months and no one has said anything, and you told me I'd be one of the first to know if you _did_ find something. But I was thinking that maybe it just slipped your mind somehow."  
"We're making progress. Slowly, mind you, but still progress."  
"Good. And any new ideas on how to expel the creature from a host body other than setting fire to the body?"  
"Sorry, nothing yet. It would probably help if we knew more about the creature. All we know so far is that it can only inhabit a dead body. And that one sure way to expel it from a body is by burning said body. Of course, it just moves on to the next dead body it can find, so I guess that's only a temporary fix for this until we find something more about it."  
"Right, yeah. I knew all of that. But there has to be another way."  
"Why do you seem so concerned about all of this? Is there something you know that the rest of us don't?"  
She bites her lip nervously.  
"Um, maybe?"  
"Daisy..."  
She sighs.  
"Fine. Um, well, when I met the creature all those months ago, I kind of left out a sort of maybe important detail."  
"What is the detail?"  
"That I know whose body the creature is inhabiting. And that it didn't want to hurt me. It just wanted to see me."  
Fitz furrows his brows.  
"What are you...?"  
"It was Ward. Well, it was his body, actually. But it still felt like he was there instead of this creature. But then the thing had to start speaking."  
Fitz gets a look of recognition on his face.  
"That's why you're so determined to find another way of expelling the creature."  
She nods her head slowly.  
"Yeah. I mean, I know Ward did a lot of terrible things and there's no excuse for any of it. But nobody deserves to have that happen to them. Not even Ward. I just...even if we can only expel the thing from him, not bring him back; I just want to give him some peace. That's something he never really got in his life. And I think it's time we allowed him that."  
"I'll help you."  
She's shocked. But only slightly. She knows what kind of person Fitz is. Yet she still has to ask.  
"Wait, really? Even after everything that happened, you're going to help me find a way to save him?"  
He nods his head.  
"Yeah, I am. Even though he did what he did, he was still a member of our team. And I think I've moved past all of that, made my peace with it; and I'm doing a lot better now too. Plus, I know how you felt about him, and he was our friend. I'll help you figure out a way to get that thing out of him. If it brings him back, well, we'll figure that out when it comes down to it. And if it doesn't bring him back, then I'll help you lay him to rest. Peacefully."  
She can't help the smile that grows on her face. She also can't help the tears that form in her eyes.  
She pulls Fitz into a tight hug.  
"Thank you, Fitz."  
"Anytime."  
She pulls back from the hug and looks him right in the eyes.  
"You can't tell anyone that the creature is in Ward's body, though. You understand that, right?"  
She knows he understands. He's a smart man. But she has to be sure.  
He nods.  
"Yeah, I get it. If the others knew, none of them would work as hard to find a way to save him."  
She nods her head and then smiles.  
"Exactly. This will be our little secret."  
He smiles back.  
"Our little secret."

Weeks go by. Weeks of her and Fitz meeting in secret to discuss their progress. Not that there's much of it to actually discuss.  
She still hasn't seen any sign of the creature. It begins to worry her.  
Until they get Intel. Like the Intel they got before.  
She doesn't hesitate in volunteering to check it out. Fitz volunteers too, which some find slightly unusual.  
He claims it's so he can try and get any readings on the creature they might need to figure out how to expel it.  
But she knows the real reason why he's going. He has to see it for himself.  
Lincoln and Joey go as backup.  
Lincoln tries to get her to open up about the last time. But she doesn't tell him anything. She can't.  
She knows he won't understand her need to do what she's doing.

She and Fitz go inside the building while Lincoln and Joey stand guard.  
She enters in front of Fitz, her gun trained up in front of her, but slightly lower than usual. Though she has a feeling she won't need it. Much like she didn't need it the last time.  
The entire room is shrouded in darkness except for the small beam of light shining down. The beam is slightly bigger than the last time.  
She notices the creature is standing directly in the light this time. Instead of in the darkness like before.  
She holsters her gun as she steps forward. She knows it won't hurt her.  
"It's been a while since we talked last."  
"I've been busy."  
"Busy doing what?"  
"Things you wouldn't understand."  
She can hear Fitz let out a breath beside her.  
"Whoa."  
The creature turns towards Fitz.  
"You must be...Fitz. He's very fond of you too, he thinks of you as a brother. But he failed to protect you, like he failed to protect Thomas."  
Fitz's brows furrow.  
"Thomas? Who's Thomas? What's going on?"  
She looks at Fitz.  
"He did something like this to me the first time. My best guess is that he has all of Ward's memories."  
"Okay. And who's Thomas?"  
The creature answers before she can.  
"His brother. Younger brother, to be more precise. He couldn't protect him from big brother like he should have."  
Fitz scrunches his face up.  
"This is a bit disturbing."  
She scoffs.  
"Tell me about it."  
She looks back at the creature.  
"Why did you contact us again?"  
His gaze fixes back on her.  
"I had to see you again. Despite not being in control for so long, this host seems to have a strong pull towards you. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced before. I've tried to fight it, human emotions never do any good, but I couldn't. There is something about you, Skye."  
"Is that the only reason you wanted me here? So that you could see me again?"  
"It's possible. This mind is a very complex one, despite what everyone thinks about him."  
"Can we leave, then?"  
She isn't sure why she asks. She could just turn around and leave.  
The creature slowly nods.  
"Yes, I suppose you can. But this won't be the last time we see each other, Skye. I can promise you that."  
"Oh I don't doubt that."  
She glances over at Fitz. They make eye contact for a quick second.  
When they look back the creature is gone. Almost like it vanished into thin air.  
Just like before.

She and Fitz work double time. They urge everyone to work faster and harder to find anything on the creature and how to expel it.  
Whenever anyone questions why they're both so passionate, they give the same basic answer. _'We're SHIELD, we save the world from threats.'  
_ Everyone buys it.  
Every.  
Single.  
Time.

She's always known breakthroughs to be great things. Especially when one comes that can help save a man from being used as a puppet.  
She knows she won't understand the science behind it so she doesn't ask. She just knows it has something to do with Creel's DNA.  
She and Fitz share a quick glance in victory and relief through the crowd of people in the room.  
Fitz's next task is designing a delivery system.  
She doesn't ask about that either. She trusts Fitz.

It only takes a few days for Fitz to get the device just right.  
She hugs Fitz tightly, thanking him quietly in his ear because everyone else is around.  
He tells her he was happy to help.

She's the first one to volunteer for facing the creature. Again.  
Coulson tries to shut her down, telling her it's too dangerous of a situation. That he wants an experienced sniper to take the shot from a rooftop somewhere.  
She fights back. She tells him she can get close enough to the creature to make sure the substance is actually administered.  
She doesn't tell him the reason why. Just asks him to trust her on this one.  
He reluctantly agrees.  
May, Bobbi, Hunter, Mack, Lincoln, and Joey are all assigned to go along for back up.

Thankfully she doesn't have to wait too long to find out if Fitz's device will work.  
A few days later they receive more Intel.  
She knows.  
Fitz knows.  
No one else knows.

She goes into the building first. May and Bobbi follow a few feet behind her. Hunter and Mack flank the sides. Joey and Lincoln stand guard at the door.  
She doesn't have her gun out. She knows she doesn't need it.  
The others have their guns out. They don't know.  
The creature is waiting in the light just like before.  
She doesn't hesitate in walking forward, despite protests from both May and Bobbi.  
The creature looks around the room before those eyes settle on hers.  
"You brought more along with you this time."  
She nods slowly, taking a step towards him.  
"I did. Are you disappointed by that? Were you hoping it'd be just me? Or me and Fitz?"  
"Not disappointed. Surprised, maybe, especially with who you brought. But again, I'm not too keen on human emotions. I find them tiring to try and differentiate."  
She gives a small smile as she continues to slowly move forward.  
"I know you do. You've mentioned it once or twice before."  
"What the hell? Is that Ward?"  
She flinches slightly at the harshness in May's voice.  
She turns her head to see her four teammates inching closer.  
She sticks a hand out.  
"No, stop. Please don't come any closer. He won't hurt me."  
May doesn't take her eyes off of the creature. Her gun is trained directly on him.  
"You don't know that, Daisy."  
"Yes, I do. He hasn't hurt me the last two times we met up here. He isn't going to now, either."  
Bobbi quickly looks at her.  
"You can't be sure of that."  
"But I am."  
She looks back at the creature, slowly moving forward again.  
"I can see it in the eyes. He has all of Ward's memories and feelings. There's a part of Ward still in there that won't let him hurt me."  
May inches closer.  
"We can't take that chance, Daisy. We need to fall back, find another way to go about this."  
She doesn't tear her eyes away. She shakes her head.  
"No. I promised myself that I'd try and save him. Even if he doesn't come back, I have to try and save him."  
The creature steps closer to her.  
"There's nothing left of him to save."  
She stops inches away from him.  
"You're wrong. I may not be able to save his mind or soul, but I can save his body; save it from being used as a puppet by you. He's been used like this before and it's wrong."  
"Yes, I know. He thought he was saved by that man...John Garret. He thought the man was going to save him and care for him, only to be manipulated and abused for the second time in his life."  
She nods slowly.  
"Exactly. So you know why I have to do what I'm about to do."  
She doesn't wait for the creature to respond or react.  
She takes the last few steps forward and lodges the device into the neck.  
She steps back and watches.  
She watches as the body falls to the ground and starts to convulse.  
She wants to rush forward. But she knows she has to wait for the process to end.  
She watches as something exits the body, she's not sure how to describe it, and disperses into the air.  
She doesn't waste another second before rushing forward towards the body lying on the concrete.  
She kneels down next to Ward's body. She immediately pulls his head into her lap, not quite sure what she's expecting to happen.  
She notices the small chest movements.  
She looks down at his face.  
"Ward?"  
His eyes are still closed.  
"S…S...Skye?"  
She nods rapidly, tears building up in her eyes. She doesn't bother trying to correct him on her name. She knows it doesn't matter.  
She places a hand on his cheek, rubbing her thumb gently across it.  
"Yeah, it's me. I'm right here. And I'm so sorry. I understand, Grant, I understand. You told me that I'd understand one day, and now I do."  
His eyes crack open. She can see how weak he is.  
"Good. I'm...glad."  
"I'm sorry this had to happen to you. It shouldn't have been like this. We should have helped you."  
"B...better...way."  
She shakes her head vehemently.  
"But it's not. It's not better this way. I know I said I wanted you dead but I don't mean it. Not now."  
She can see him struggle to swallow.  
He lifts his hand up to gently grab the ends of her hair.  
"It's short."  
She gives a small smile through her blurred vision.  
"Yeah, I chopped it all off. It's easier to maintain it this way."  
"Don't like it."  
She lets out a quiet laugh.  
"Of course you wouldn't."  
He lets his hand fall to her cheek. She leans into his palm.  
"Skye...I lo—"  
She cuts him off. She can't bear to hear him say it.  
"I know, Grant, I know. You don't have to say it. I already know."  
She carts her fingers through his dark hair. She doesn't know why she does it. Just that it feels right.  
"Just close your eyes. Everything's going to be okay now. You're going to be fine. You're going to be okay now. I promise."  
His eyes slowly close.  
His hand falls from her cheek.  
He doesn't speak again.  
She can't stop the tears from falling down her own cheeks as she cradles his head in her lap.  
The foundation of the building shakes beneath them as she sobs.  
She peppers his face with kisses. She doesn't know why she does it. Just that it feels right.

Fitz keeps his promise to her. He helps her with everything involving the funeral.  
He ends up planning the majority of it because she can hardly speak.

The others show up to the funeral.  
She knows they aren't there for him. Not really.  
Fitz says a few words at the service.  
She told him that he didn't have to, that she wasn't expecting him to say anything. He told her that he wanted to speak, that it felt right.  
She wants to say something too. She even wrote it all down. But she can't get herself to say the words.  
Fitz offers to read it for her.  
She curls in on herself as she hears her words read aloud.  
 _"I understand now, Grant. I understand now why you did most of what you did.  
_ _I'm just sorry I didn't understand earlier. If I had, then maybe things could have turned out differently. Maybe_ we _could have turned out differently.  
_ _But it's no use dwelling on what could have been.  
_ _We both come from some pretty messed up pasts. And somehow that connected us. I just wish it had connected us on the same path.  
_ _There is so much I wish I could have said to you while you were still here. But I won't say it now. Because I'm sure you already know.  
_ _You turned my life upside down, Grant Ward. And I'll always cherish the good times we shared together. I'll never forget those moments. Just like I'll never forget you. I wouldn't be able to do that even if I tried.  
_ _I'm going to miss you. Probably a lot more than I'm willing to admit.  
_ _Even though you're gone and I'm a full-fledged agent now I'll always be your Rookie. Just like you'll always be my Robot.  
_ _Goodbye, Grant."  
_ She clings tightly to Fitz as the casket is lowered into the ground. She doesn't want to let go of him. She can't. She knows she won't be able to hold herself upright if she does.  
She bends down towards the tombstone, running her hand over the carved letters of his name.  
She presses a single kiss to the stone, her eyes closing as a few tears fall into the soil.  
Mack and Fitz help her back to the SUV. She whispers thank you to them both, still trying to find her voice again.

She doesn't speak to anyone on the ride back. And no one speaks to her.

She dives full force back into her role as an agent and an Inhuman.  
She continues her own training as well as the training of new Inhumans they come across.  
She continues building up her team.  
No one ever mentions the incident.

She visits his grave ever year.  
Sometimes twice.  
Sometimes when she just feels like it.  
Sometimes she talks to him, tells him about her day.  
Sometimes she brings Battleship and sets it up. He finally wins a game.  
Sometimes she just sits and shares a drink with a memory.

It hurts to think about him.  
It hurts to see his photo, the one she keeps taped to her mirror so she sees it every day.  
It hurts less as each day goes by. But it still hurts.

Sometimes she wishes he was still there.  
Sometimes she thinks that he is. But she knows he isn't.  
He's not there and he never will be again.

She knows he's grateful for what she did for him.  
She doesn't know how she knows, but she does.

* * *

 **So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.**

 **Did any of you cry? I really want to know. Because I cried while writing it, so yeah.**

 **Also, I'm doing a special project for Brett and I'm thinking about doing the same thing for Chloe as well. So if you're interested, just let me know. I'd be more than happy to give you more details.**

 **Until next time,  
Jellybean96 out!**


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